Originally Posted by Imperator

how screwed up and clueless is this admin and their state dept., jesus christ...

U.S. says concerned by Nicaragua election ruling
Reuters
Thursday, October 22, 2009; 9:27 PM

snip-


The U.S. State Department questioned the way the court had reached its decision, and said the move threatens democratic governance.

"The ruling appears to short-circuit, through legal maneuverings, the open and transparent consideration by the Nicaraguan people of the possibility for presidential re-election," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement.

"We share the concern of many Nicaraguans that this situation is part of a larger pattern of questionable and irregular governmental actions," Kelly added.




washingtonpost.com

Originally Posted by Imperator

annnnd thx Dan!!! we knew we had it in you.......some folks never ever learn


Ortega Assists Honduras
The Chávez model hits Nicaragua

If Honduras manages to preserve its democracy despite U.S. pressure to abandon it, the tiny Central American country may wind up thanking Nicaragua's Danny Ortega, of all people.

Last week, President Ortega inadvertently provided the best defense yet of the Honduran decision this summer to remove Manuel Zelaya from the presidency. Nicaragua has a one-term limit for presidents, and Mr. Ortega's term expires in 2011. However, the Nicaraguan doesn't want to leave, and so he asked the Sandinista-controlled Supreme Court to overturn the constitutional ban on his re-election.

Last week the court's constitutional panel obliged him. The Nicaraguan press reported that the vote was held before three opposition judges could reach the chamber in time for the session. Three alternative judges, all Sandinistas, took their place and the court gave Mr. Ortega the green light. Mr. Ortega has decreed that the ruling cannot be appealed.

This is classic strong-man stuff on Hugo Chávez's Venezuela model. Mr. Ortega's approval rating is in the low-30% range and he'd have a hard time winning a fair election against a united opposition. But he controls the nation's electoral council, and in the 2008 municipal races—the most important elected checks on the president—the council refused to provide a transparent accounting of the vote tally. It also blocked international and local observers, and the vote was marred by claims of widespread fraud. The international community watched all this but did nothing. And now Mr. Ortega is taking the next chavista step toward indefinite rule.

Hondurans deposed Mr. Zelaya because he was showing similar designs on changing their constitution to be able to run again and stay in power. Hondurans have to live in Mr. Ortega's neighborhood, and their action against Mr. Zelaya may well have saved them from Nicaragua's fate.

Nicaraguan President Ortega Asks for Term Limits to be Overthrown - WSJ.com

Originally Posted by Imperator

how screwed up and clueless is this admin and their state dept., jesus christ...

U.S. says concerned by Nicaragua election ruling
Reuters
Thursday, October 22, 2009; 9:27 PM

snip-


The U.S. State Department questioned the way the court had reached its decision, and said the move threatens democratic governance.

"The ruling appears to short-circuit, through legal maneuverings, the open and transparent consideration by the Nicaraguan people of the possibility for presidential re-election," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement.

"We share the concern of many Nicaraguans that this situation is part of a larger pattern of questionable and irregular governmental actions," Kelly added.




washingtonpost.com

Originally Posted by Imperator

my god, it makes you want to scream till your head explodes, who the heck is running the state dept for god sakes?What a joke, after alllllll of the self righteous sing song etc...here we are...





Ousted President Manuel Zelaya is asking the Obama Administration why, after pressing for his reinstatement, it now says it will recognize upcoming Honduran elections even if he isn’t returned to power first.

In a letter sent to the U.S. State Department on Wednesday, Zelaya asked Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton “to clarify to the Honduran people if the position condemning the coup d’etat has been changed or modified.”
His request came after Washington’s top envoy to Latin America, Thomas Shannon, told CNN en Espanol that Washington will recognize the Nov. 29 elections even if the Honduran Congress decides against returning Zelaya to power.

A U.S.-brokered deal reached last week leaves Zelaya’s reinstatement in the hands of Congress, but sets no deadline as to when lawmakers must decide. Delays in the expected vote have generated fears in the Zelaya camp.



Ousted Honduran leader asks Clinton stand on coup - Yahoo! News

Originally Posted by bg85

wait...what's wrong with that?

Originally Posted by bg85

i would say it's perfectly fine for the state dept to accept the new honduran elections regardless of whether or not zelaya returns. the admin may not have officially supported his ousting, but if you consider the fact that his term limit would have been reached by the next election you'd have a new pres anyway.